Uncharted Territory
by Nardhwentheelf
Summary: Unknown to most, there was another character in that lived in Port Royale. Most of the records of her had been lost or changed, for reasons you will discover as you read on.
1. A Pirate's Life For Me

**Unknown to most, there was another character in that lived in Port Royale. Most of the records of her had been lost or changed, for reasons you will discover as you read on.**

**I would like to thank my co-writer, BlackestSlytherin, for helping me write this story. It wouldn't be as awesome as it is without her :D**

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_A Pirate's Life for me_

**Third person's POV**

"Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me. Yo, ho, yo, ho, it's a pirate's life for me..." A young girl, twelve years of age, sung slowly and softly under her breath. She gazed out over the sea, her long auburn hair swinging in time with the rocking of the ship. "Drink up me hearties, yo, ho..."

Joshamme Gibbs, a sailor, clutched the girl's shoulder, startling her slightly.

"Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. You want to call 'em down on us?" The girl looked defiantly back at him.

"Mr Gibbs." The girl and old sailor both directed their attention to the dashing young man, Royal Navy to the core, as he glared sternly at Gibbs. Standing beside him was the girl's father, Governor Weatherby Swann , a man of obvious high station, evidenced by the brass buttons on his thick blue jacket. "That will do."

"She was singing about pirates. Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog - mark my words."

"Consider them marked. On your way."

" 'Aye, Lieutenant." As he moved off he muttered: "Bad luck to have women on board, too. Even mini'ture ones."

"Well I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate." The young girl told the two men.

"Think again, Miss Swann. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirate brand, get what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop." The girl gasped, being very well versed in pirates.

"Captain Norrington... I appreciate your fervour, but I am concerned about about the effect this subject will have on my daughter."

"My apologies, Governor."

"Actually, I find it all fascinating." The girl was very independent, even at twelve. But her father was very worried about her wanting to meet a pirate.

"And that's what concerns me. Charlotte, we will be landing in Port Royal soon, and beginning our new lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we comport ourselves as befits to our class and station?" When he received no reply, he sighed and said: "Why don't you go and join your sister in the cabin?" The small girl turned around and gazed over the railing once again. Governor Swann sighed again and walked away.

"I still think it would be exciting to meet a pirate..." The girl said to herself. The fog Gibbs mentioned hemmed in the boat; very little of the sea was visible. But-

-suddenly a figure came into view. A young boy, Charlotte's age, was floating on a long piece of wood in the otherwise empty water. There was nothing to show where he came from, or how he came to be there.

"Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!" The girl shouted, alerting the sailors.

"Man overboard!"

"Boy overboard!" Charlotte contradicted.

"Fetch a hook - haul him out of there!" There was a bustle of activity on deck. The sailors managed to catch the boy, and hauled him aboard. Charlotte ran closer. The boy was laid on the deck. "He's still breathing."

"Where did he come from?"

"Mary mother of God..." Gibbs said. All attention turned from the boy. The sea was no longer empty. Wreckage from a ship littered the water... along with the bodies of its crew. What was left of the ship's hull burned; a ragged British flag hung limply from the stern. The ship, the H.M.S Dauntless, slipped silently through it all.

"What happened here?"

"An explosion in the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed."

"Lot of good it did them..." Gibbs glanced at Governor Swann. "Everyone's thinking it! I'm just saying it! Pirates!"

"There is no proof of that. It could have been an accident. Captain, these men were my protection. If there is even the slightest chance one of those poor devils is still alive, we cannot abandon them!"

Of course not." Norrington spoke to a sailor. "Rouse the Captain immediately." To the crew, he said: "Come about and strike the sails! Unlash the boats! Gunnery crew... jackets off the cannons!" To Governor Swann, he said: "Hope for the best... prepare for the worse." To other sailors he said: "Move the aft. We'll need the deck clear."

The sailors being spoken too lifted the boy. The Governor pulled the girl away from the rail.

"Charlotte, I want you to accompany the boy. Take him to you and your sister's cabin. He's in your charge now. You'll watch over him?" Charlotte nodded. Governor Swann hurried away to help unstow the longboat. The sailors laid the boy gently down and rushed off.

As Charlotte looked down at the boy, she reached out and brushed his hair from his eyes-

-and the boy grabbed her wrist, awakening. The children's eyes locked. Charlotte took the boy's hand in her own.

"Don't be afraid. My name is Charlotte Swann."

"Will Turner."

"I'm watching over you, Will." Charlotte said comfortingly. Will clutched her hand, and then slipped back into unconsciousness.

Will's movements had opened up the collar of his shirt. Charlotte spotted a chain around his neck. Tugging it free, she revealed a gold medallion. One side was blank. Charlotte turned it over-

-and a skull gazed up at her. Charlotte could recognise that it was vaguely Aztec in design, but there was another, more important side to this coin.

"You're a pirate!" Charlotte whispered in amazement. She glanced around at the crew. Spotting Norrington, Charlotte made a decision. Taking the medallion from around Will's neck, she hid it under her coat.

"Did he speak?" Norrington asked.

"His name is William Turner - that's all I found out."

"Very good." Norrington rushed off. Charlotte stole away to the stern of the ship to examine her prize. A wisp of wind caused her to look up-

-and out over the sea, moving through the fog, silent as a ghost, was a large sailing ship, a schooner -

-but it had black sails. Charlotte stared, fascinated. The ship was obscured by the fog as it passed; but not before the small girl standing at the stern spotted the frightening skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger.

Charlotte looked from it to the medallion - and noticed the skull on the flag was the same as the one on the medallion. Charlotte squeezed her eyes tight-

* * *

_A year or so later_

"You don't understand me!" Charlotte yelled at her father. Stamping up the stairs, she flew into her room, and flung herself on the bed furiously. Her father was driving her to the brink of insanity! Nobody seemed to get that she didn't _want_ to be a lady of high society – quite the opposite in fact. She longed for adventure, not sitting in a drawing room, sipping tea and gossiping. Elizabeth loved pretty dresses and browsing the latest fashions from London, but Charlotte much preferred helping Will down at the forge – without her father's knowledge, for he'd never let her out of the house without an escort if he found out she was doing something _unladylike_. Sitting up suddenly, she got up and walked over to the large French window in the centre of her room. She sighed as she gazed longingly out of it; she was just able to make out the top of blacksmiths that Will worked and lived at in the dusk of evening. She glanced at the clock on her mantel piece – it was almost nine, and soon it would completely dark outside. She return to looking outside, this time gazing up at the stars. One of the benefits of being the governor's daughter – and there were hardly any – was that Charlotte received an education. The library in the manor had a few books on astronomy, which she had snatched up and read hungrily. Charlotte prided herself on being at least somewhat versed in the stars. She sighed yet again. Astronomy would hardly be useful in the life her father had laid out for her and her sister – with the latter not being bothered in the slightest that she would never have in the opportunity to see the world. She once again yearned for adventure. If only there was an escape from it all. If only…

Her eyes once again rested on the village, though she had to strain her eyes to see any of it clearly, for night had fallen and the thick clouds had blocked all light the moon had to offer. She squinted, and a rare gap in the clouds let a trickle of moonlight through, and this allowed her to focus on the harbour. The sea. Freedom…

Making a spur of the moment decision, she opened her window, and climbed out.

She had often slipped out of her window at night to make her way to John Brown's blacksmith, where Will was living, and often the hem of her horribly constricting dress caught on the latch of the windowsill. This time was no different, and she huffed as she impatiently tugged on the frightfully long garment. She winced as she heard a tear echo through the still night and looked down to see a large portion of her dress hanging off. Quietly slipping down the trellis and hoping that no one inside the house had heard the rip, she continued to run down the long, winding driveway in the direction of John Brown's blacksmith, pausing only to dart into one of the side alleys once she was in the village and dispose of the tear by ripping off the bottom of her dress. It now showed her ankles but it was much easier to move around in. The streets were deserted, so no one was there to question why a young girl was alone, wandering the streets, at night.

Soon she arrived at her destination. Knocking the confirmed knock, John opened the door, smiled at her and let her in. He liked Charlotte, always coming to see Will. He also liked to piss off the governor, even if the governor was unaware of what he was doing. He knew that he was breaking some unspoken rule of society by allowing Charlotte into the blacksmith. He also knew that it was most likely that he was breaching a written law by letting Charlotte occasionally help Will at the furnace. If the governor found out that his daughter helped down at the forge, he would blow a gasket! Shaking his head in wicked glee, he wandered into his quarters, leaving his charge and his guest alone.

Charlotte crept over to where Will was sleeping. She gently touched him on the shoulder, waking him up.

Smiling, Will stood up. His smile fell when he saw Charlotte's expression.

"What is it?" He asked. Charlotte took a deep breath.

"I'm running away." She said quickly. Will stopped fiddling with a piece of leather he had tied around his wrist and gave her an incredulous look. He opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Eventually, he croaked:

"But…why?"

"I don't feel at home here. I crave freedom that I will never achieve. No one understands me." she saw his hurt look and added "No one but you. Besides I cannot sit around and just wait for a future where my life's ambition is to have children and have the highest social status! I won't do it!"

Will looked around wildly. "You could stay here! Your father wouldn't have to know! He could think you have run away when in fact you're with me!" He offered gallantly, with a touch of desperation. Charlotte shook her head.

"Thank you, but no. I'm sorry, Will. My mind is made up. I cannot stay." Charlotte was in tears by now. "I'm sorry." She repeated, burying her head in her hands. Will dug around in his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to her.

"Here." Charlotte sniffed, looking up and taking the offered handkerchief and wiping away her tears. She went to give it back to Will, but he refused it. "You need it more than I do." Despite the situation, Charlotte smiled.

She brought out her own handkerchief and gave it to Will. He took it.

"I'm sorry." Charlotte said for the third time.

"I understand." Will stepped closer. "Just promise me that you'll come back one day." Charlotte nodded.

"I promise." The two embraced quickly. Charlotte made her way slowly to the door, turning around several times to see Will standing, desolate, with her handkerchief in his hand. She nearly ran back to him, saying of course she wouldn't leave him, but she couldn't face her father again.

Finally walking outside, and closing the door softly behind her, she stood for a moment in thought. _What should I do next?_ She wondered.

Setting off in the direction of the port, she bashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm very sorry." She apologised.

"Don't worry, little miss." The man said. Looking down, he recognised the Governor's daughter. "What are you doing out here at such an hour?" He asked.

"I'm running away."

"Are you now?" Joshamee Gibbs pondered over this. The few times he'd seen the child out with her sister she had looked greatly unhappy. Maybe -

"Where are you headed?" The girl asked, drawing him abruptly out of his thoughts .

"That's none of your business." Gibbs retorted sharply. But on seeing the look on the girl's face after the harshly spoken words, he softened. "Come along then. We best be off."

"Pardon?" Charlotte asked, confused.

"I thought you were running away. I suppose I am too, in a way. So us fugitives must stick together, eh?" Charlotte smiled, liking that idea. "But," he said when she had bounded off in the direction of the port looking a good deal happier "We shall have to secure your some leggings and a tunic" he declared, looking at her clothes in disdain. "Can't have you wandering the ship in a dress like that, or people'll know we had the governor daughter in our midst. Not to mention the mobility issue it would present." He grinned at her and clapped her on the shoulder before steering her in the direction of the ship, whistling.

"So where are we off to?" Charlotte asked, already getting in the swing of things.

"Now, that's for the Captain to tell us, isn't it?"

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_Location: __unknown_

Charlie opened her eyes to see the bright blue sky. She sat up, groaning, her temples pounding.

"Where am I?" She put a hand to her head and attempted to shade her poor, abused eyes from the sun's harsh glare.

"On a boat. The -"

"Hold that thought" Charlie told the voice before she leaned over the side and released the contents of her stomach. "So, I'm on a boat…" She trailed off as she looked at the churning sea.

"You are on a boat," The voice began for a second time, sound slightly irritated "The Jolly Mon, to be exact." Charlie looked up in the direction of the voice now, startled.

"You stole Anamaria's boat?" She asked incredulously. Jack grinned.

"Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of returning."

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

**So hope you enjoyed! I know Jack went on many different adventures (Jack is the Captain Gibbs was talking about, if you hadn't already guessed), but I don't know much about them, so I'm not going to write about them. So, ta till next time!**


	2. Pirates - Ye be warned

**Hey guys! Thank you all for reviewing, and thank you again for my lovely co-writer BlackestSlytherin for helping write this :D****  
**

**BlackestSlytherin: **Yeah yeah. I think I did the most ;)

**CityOfDucks:** Good :D here you go ;) You have to come to Chamber Strings now :D Yeah I am feeling better now thanks byeee

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_Pirates - Ye be warned_

**Charlie's POV**

Jack stood atop the Jolly Mon, gazing out over the sea. We had been in the Jolly Mon for a few days now, and Jack wouldn't tell me where we were headed. I looked down at the bucket in my hands, sighed, and continued bailing. The ship had sprung a leak halfway through our voyage, and Jack had put me on bailing duty. The bucket served a dual purpose bailing and, well…

I heaved into the bucket. After all this time at sea and I _still_ get seasick. I disposed of the buckets contents and continued to bail.

Jack suddenly jumped down next to me, grabbed the other bucket, and helped me bail. Together, we managed to do a pretty good job of getting rid of the water. But after a while, Jack stopped, stood up, and took off his hat. I straightened up and saw the skeletal remains of three pirates hanging from a gallows on a rocky promontory. A fourth, unoccupied noose bore the sign:

'**PIRATES - YE BE WARNED**'

Jack and I paid our respects to our fellow pirates. As we passed, Jack turned to smile at me.

"We're here."

"Where?" I asked. Jack gestured to behind me. I spun around, and froze. "Oh no. Jack, why?" Jack just grinned. "I _told_ you I didn't want to come back here!" Jack nodded.

"Aye, I know."

"So why have we come?" Jack just tapped the side of his nose. I twisted around and made for the back of the ship. "I am _not_ going back there." Jack caught me.

"Whoa, whoa. Don't you want to have an adventure?"

"Another one?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aye." I glared at Jack.

"Fine. But if we run into my father, I'm blaming you." Jack let go of me, and I walked to the mast. "I think that the ship is sinking." I said.

"I believe you are correct." Jack joined me by the mast. "Shall we?" I nodded. Jack indicated that I should go first.

"Ooh no. I'm not falling for _that_ trick again." I smirked at Jack. I had climbed the mast in front of Jack once, and he'd said some quite awkward things once we got to the top. Yeah. Exactly. I linked my fingers, and boosted Jack up. Once he was at the top, he stuck a hand down to help me up.

We stood up, and I surveyed my former home. It was pretty much the same as when I'd left, seven years ago. I remembered it well. As we approached the port, we were getting quite a few odd stares. We ignored them. As we were about to crash into the dock, Jack and I stepped off onto the wooden boards of the dock. We strolled past the harbourmaster and his assistant, who came running after us.

"What? Hold up there, you. It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock." Jack and I looked dubiously at the sunken Jolly Mon. "And I shall need to know your name." The harbourmaster opened up his ledger and held it up. Jack tossed three shillings onto it.

"What d'ye say to three shillings and we forget the name?" The harbourmaster looked at me. I threw in two of my own shillings. The harbourmaster shut the ledger with a bang.

"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr and Mrs Smith." As the harbourmaster moved quickly on, I pretended to gag.

"We're married now?" I groaned. Jack grinned, slinging an arm over my shoulders.

"C'mon, luv. You know you love it really." I blanched. Jack spotted a small bag on top of the harbourmaster's desk. He picked it up, shook it, and pocketed it. I rolled my eyes at him, but let it pass. He was, after all, a pirate. And so was I. Moving swiftly on...

"So what now?" I asked Jack.

"Now, I attempt to commandeer ... that ship." Jack pointed at a mean looking ship.

"Ok. How do you plan on doing that?"

"I don't know yet. Why don't you wait here for me like a good girl-" I glared at him. "-and come when I signal you." I sighed.

"Alright. But don't expect me to wait forever." Jack nodded, and I clambered up the side of a house, lying on a helpful ledge. Jack looked up at me, and I raised my hat to him. Oh yeah, I had a hat. It was my pride and joy, much as Jack's was to him. Jack sauntered off to under the dock. It was pretty quiet, since there was something on up at the fort, so I could hear what Jack was doing. I listened closely.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians." I heard someone say.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know." Jack replied. "If I see one, I shall inform you immediately." There was a bit of shuffling, then Jack carried on. "Apparently there's some sort of high-toned and fancy to do up at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" I snorted. The conversation paused and I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians." Good answer mate, good answer I thought, nodding internally to the man who said it.

"It's a fine goal to be sure... but it seems to me that a ship like that-" There was a pause. "-makes this one here a bit superfluous, really."

"Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough - but there's no ship that can match the Interceptor for speed."

"I've heard of one, supposed to be very fast, nigh uncatchable... the Black Pearl." I sighed. Jack always found a way to bring his old ship into the conversation.

"Well... there's no real ship as can match the Interceptor."

"The Black Pearl is a real ship."

"No, no it's not." The two men seemed to be arguing amongst themselves.

"Yes it is. I've seen it."

"You've seen it?"

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it."

"Yes, I have."

"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out?" Yep, that pretty much summed up Barbossa.

"...no."

"No."

"But I've have seen a ship with black sails."

"Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails, therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?" I saw Jack sneaking off halfway through this speech, and he walked up the gangplank of the Interceptor, tipping his hat to me as he did so.

"...no."

"Like I said... there's no _real_ ship as can match the Intercept- hey!" Obviously, Jack had been spotted, and the two men rushed over to him. "You!" Jack was standing at the wheel of the Interceptor, casually examining the mechanism. At the shout, he looked up in exaggeratedly innocent surprise. The two men raised their guns. "Get away from there! You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate!"

"I'm sorry, it's just, it's such a pretty boat- ship."

"What's your name?"

"Smith. Or Smithy, if you like."

"What's your business in Port Royal, 'Mr Smith'?" Now this I wanted to hear. I shuffled forward, trying to keep my head and body from being seen. Rocks from the ledge I was lying on clattered down the side of the house. I cursed internally when the conversation halted yet again.

"Yeah, and no lies!"

"Well, then. I confess. It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out!" That was it? Why was Jack hiding _that _from me?

"I said, no lies."

"I think he's telling the truth."

"If he were telling the truth he wouldn't have told us." True.

"Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you." The two men seemed very confused. I just snorted. Oh Jack.

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Jack was telling a story to the sentries, as far as I could tell. I wasn't really paying attention Well, I wasn't really paying attention until I heard a loud splash. Starting, I raised myself onto my elbows so see a foamy circle a good 10 feet from the Interceptor.

"Will you be saving her, then?" I heard Jack ask.

"I can't swim." Said one of the men. The other one shook his head, agreeing.

"Prides of the King's Navy, you are." I couldn't restrain my smile. Jack took off his hat and coat, hands his pistol and sword belt to one of the men. "Do not lose these." Then Jack dove into the waves.

I waited in anticipation to see who had been stupid enough to fall into the sea. I felt a pulse from under the bubbly ring where Jack had swum to. What was that? When Jack finally surfaced, I was shocked to see my sister in his grasp. They quickly went under again. I was about to go and help Jack, but he resurfaced again, and this time managed to swim to the dock, where the sentries helped him out of the water. Jack looked exhausted. He glanced up at me, and shook his head almost imperceptibly. I cocked my head to the side. 'Stay there' Jack mouthed. I shrugged my shoulders but stayed where I was and adjusting myself to find a more comfortable position.

"Not breathing."

"Move!" I watched as Jack stole a knife off one of the men, and promptly cut Elizabeth's corset in half. He threw it to one side, and Elizabeth began to cough up water.

"I never would have thought of that."

"Clearly, you've never been to Singapore." I had. Jack looked at Elizabeth. Reaching out his hand, he held something that looked like a necklace. "Where did you get that?" There was suddenly the blade of a sword at Jack's throat. It belonged to- Norrington? Nice sword, mate.

"On your feet." Still got the attitude I see? Nice to know that the man was still as stubborn as a grumpy mule.

"Elizabeth! Are you all right?" Governor Swann rushed into the scene. Jack's eyes flicked up to mine, and I gave him a death glare. This was exactly why I didn't want to come to Port Royal in the first place. I didn't want to see my father. I didn't want to see my sister. Most of all, I wanted to avoid something like this from happening. The Governor stripped off his jacket and draped it around my sister.

"Yes- yes, I'm fine-" Governor Swann noticed the corset the sentry was holding, and said sentry immediately pointed at Jack, who looked rather sheepish.

"Shoot him!" My father commanded his voice going all high and quavering. It tended to do that when he was agitated.

"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" Elizabeth protested. There was a silence in which Norrington looked towards my sister, and then nodded to his men. Jack nodded thanks to Elizabeth. Norrington sheathed his sword, and extended his hand.

"I believe thanks are in order." Jack gingerly took Norrington's hand. They shook- but then Norrington tightened his grip, yanked Jack's arm towards him, and then tore up the sleeve of Jack's shirt - revealing his pirate brand. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we - pirate?" I rubbed my matching brand. I was glad I wasn't Jack at this moment in time. There were shocked reactions below me, but the sailors were obviously well-trained, and in an instant, half a dozen guns were aimed at Jack. He winced.

"Hang him!" My father commanded.

"Keep your guns on him, men. Gillette, fetch some irons." Norrington then noticed Jack's tattoo: a small bird in flight across water. "Well, well... Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow. If you please, sir." Norrington glanced out over the bay.

"Well, I don't see your ship - Captain."

"I'm in the market, as it were." I grinned widely.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." One of the sentries spoke up.

"I told you he was telling the truth." The other one hissed to him. To Norrington he said: "These are his, sir." Norrington was given Jack's pistol and belt. He checked the pistol.

"No additional shot nor powder." Jack shrugged. "A compass that doesn't point north." No, it sure doesn't, matey. Norrington then half-drew Jack's sword from its scabbard. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." The sword was re-sheathed. "You are, without doubt, the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me." Oh, Jack. One of the sailors returned with Jack's shackles. Norrington grabbed Jack the arm and dragged him over to Gillette.

"Commodore, I really must protest!" Elizabeth cried.

"Carefully, lieutenant." Norrington ignored my sister.

"Pirate or not, this man saved my life."

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." The manacles were snapped onto Jack's wrists.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him." Norrington smiled.

"Indeed." Seeing Jack was safely secured, Norrington nodded to his men, who stowed away their weapons.

"Finally." Jack said. Quick as lightning, Jack had the manacle chain wrapped around my sister's throat. The guns were drawn again, but now Jack used Elizabeth as a shield.

"No! No! Don't shoot!"

"I knew you'd warm up to me." Jack said to the Governor. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please. And my hat." Norrington hesitated. "Commodore!" Norrington held out Jack's effects. "Elizabeth - it is Elizabeth, isn't it?"

"It's Miss Swann."

"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind? Come, come, dear, we don't have all day." My sister took the belt and pistol from Norrington - Jack quickly took the pistol off her. Jack jerked Elizabeth around so that she was facing him. "Now, if you'd be very kind?" Elizabeth figured out what he wanted, and put Jack's hat and belt on. "Easy on the goods, darling."

"You're despicable." My sister spat at him.

"Sticks and stones, luv. I saved your life, you've saved mine, we're square." Elizabeth was done. Jack turned her around again, then backed up a bit. "Gentleman... m'lady... you will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack shoved Elizabeth away, grabbed a rope and kicked free a belaying pin - a counterweight dropped and Jack was lifted up. "Time to go, Charlie!" He yelled at me, grabbing a second rope.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming, I'm coming." Backing up, I ran to the edge of the ledge I was now standing on, and jumped off, hurling myself through the air to land in front of the gunmen. I turned, running after Jack who was sliding down a rope by his manacle. I caught up with him just as he dropped down onto the ground, and we ran, dodging bullets madly.

(((((*((((*(((*((*(*)*))*)))*))))*)))))

I shoved Jack behind the blacksmith's statue next to John Brown's forge. We waited until the parties of armed soldiers had passed by, and then I pulled Jack into the forge. It was dark, lit by lanterns. I stood still, memories returning to me. Jack removed his hat and reached for a short-handled sledge.

A bottle hit the ground. Jack and I whipped around, expecting to see waiting soldiers. Instead, there was old John Brown, sleeping in the corner. Jack checked if he was really asleep, and I leant on the desktop, staring into the fire. I remembered all the times Will and I had had in here. Jack came back over to where I was, put the manacle links onto an anvil, and brought the sledge down on them. It didn't work. Jack frowned in frustration, looking around. I followed his gaze, and saw that he was looking at the donkey attached to the gears of a mill. I drew out a tool from the fire, the tip red hot. I held it out to Jack, who grinned evilly at me and set to work.

The donkey jumped and began to move, turning the gears of the mill. Jack put the links of his manacle between two of the gears. As the gears came together, the link snapped. Jack's wrists were free. But as soon as they were, there came the sound of the door latch. Jack and I dived for cover; myself behind a pillar, and Jack- well, I didn't know where Jack went. I still don't. I peered around my pillar to see a handsome young man enter. The man noticed the moving mill, and stopped the donkey, looking around. He spotted the drunken John Brown in the corner.

"Right where I left you." I'd know that voice anywhere. That was Will? I had as much of a crush on him now as I did back then, seven years ago. "Not where I left you." I heard Will say. I looked over at him again, and saw he was reaching for Jack's hat. Oh dear. The flat of Jack's sword slapped his hand. Will stepped back. Jack stood there, sword levelled at Will. He backed Will up, towards the door. Will glared at Jack. "You're the one they're hunting. The pirate." Jack acknowledged that with a tip of his head. "Where's your companion?" I stepped out from behind the pillar. Will's eyes widened as he saw me, but he turned back to Jack. You couldn't blame him. It was really a life or death situation.

"You look familiar..." Jack said. Well duh, Jack, he was Bootstap's son! "Have I threatened you before?"

"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates." I snorted to myself. I wondered if he'd still say that if he knew who I was.

"Ah. Well then, it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So if you'll excuse us..." Jack began to move towards the door, but I didn't budge. Will wouldn't give up that easily. Before Jack could react, Will had a sword in his hand. "Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?" In response, Will assumed an 'en garde' position.

"You threatened Miss Swann." Jack grinned at Will, running his sword blade along Will's.

"Only a little." Jack attacked suddenly. The two men traded feints, thrusts, and parries with pretty impressive speed. Will had no trouble matching Jack, which was rather surprising. "You know what you're doing, I'll give you that... Excellent form, don't you think, Charlie? But how's your footwork? If I step here-" Jack took a step around an imaginary circle. Will stepped the other way, maintaining his relationship to Jack. "Very good! And now I step again." Jack continued in a circle. The two men were now exactly opposite their initial positions. "Ta!" Jack turned and headed for the door, which was now directly behind him. Since Will didn't move, I didn't either, assuming Will had another trick up his sleeve. With a vicious overhand motion, Will threw his sword - which buried itself into the door, just above the latch, barely missing Jack. Jack tugged on the sword a few times, but it was really stuck in the door. He rattled the latch, but the sword blocked it. Jack turned to Will, smiling. "That is a wonderful trick. Except, once again, you are between me and my way out." Jack drew his sword. "And now you have no weapon." Eyes on Jack, Will lunged for a new sword from the furnace - this one had a glowing, red-hot tip. The mule startled, began to move.

"Careful, Jack." I remarked, watching the two men duel around the moving machinery. Jack's chain smashed across Will's blade, disarming him. Will picked up another.

"Who makes all these?" Jack asked.

"I do! And I practice with them three hours a day!" Bloody hell, Will! You need to get a life! Jack threw a tool at Will's head.

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate!" Jack said, echoing my thoughts and continuing to throw tools at Will. Will set his jaw and reached down to pick up another sword. "Or, perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one- and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not an eunuch, are you?" I snorted, imagining Will as a eunuch. But that was a direct hit from Jack, and Will coiled with anger.

"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate... I can kill it!" Fearless, Will drove Jack backwards, and up onto a movable ramp, wheels in the centre. When Jack passed the mid-point, the ramp balanced, but then rolled wildly as the two men fought. Will got Jack's chain wrapped around his sword, twisted the handle of his guard through a link, and stabbed the sword up, so that Jack's manacled left arm was now suspended from the ceiling. Jack parried with one hand, twisting and dodging. I could tell Will was proud of himself, until Jack slammed down on one of the boards, sending it flying up and hitting Will in the chin and sending him flying off the cart.

"Who are you?" Will asked me from where he was struggling to get up off the floor. I didn't reply. Will quickly grabbed another sword and leapt back onto the cart just as Jack was able to free his sword. This caused Jack to crash back onto the cart, sending Will flying upwards onto the beams. Jack rolled off, hitting his head. I grinned as he stood up, dazed, but couldn't find Will. He looked over at me, and I pointed upwards. Jack looked up just as Will cut the rope that held up a bunch of casks. The casks fell onto the cart, sending Jack up onto another one of the beams.

Jack hung on, got to his feet and the fight continued. Eventually, Will knocked Jack's sword from his hand. Jack jumped off the beam, quickly followed by Will who pointed his sword at the unarmed Jack. Jack compressed the bellows, blowing a shower of sparks into Will's face, knocking him back and he kicked Will's sword out of his hand. Will grabbed a piece of iron, looked up and saw Jack's pistol aimed between his eyes.

"You cheated." Will said.

"Pirate." Jack smirked. "Charlie, could you get the door?" Jack stepped forward. Will stepped back, blocking the door. I heard sounds of pursuit from outside.

"Not sure I want to do that." Jack spoke again to Will.

"Move away."

"No."

"Please move!"

"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape." Jack cocked the pistol. Will stared back.

"This shot is not meant for you." Will looked confused. Suddenly, there was the sound of breaking glass. Jack's eyes glazed over, and he crumpled to the floor. John Brown had slammed his bottle against Jack's skull. Will turned to me, the piece of iron still up. I raised an eyebrow, daring him to take me on. Will hesitated, and lowered the weapon.

"Who are you?" He asked me.

"None of your business." I growled. As the door behind us was busted open, I lunged forward, grabbed the piece of iron that was still in Will's hand, and in one swift motion, spun around and threw it at the soldiers running into the blacksmith's. It hit a couple of men, knocking them out instantaneously. After that initial movement, I made no effort to defend myself, and allowed two soldiers to grab my arms and handcuff them behind my back. Norrington pushed forward, coming to stand over Jack.

"Excellent work, Mr Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive. Two, actually." Norrington glanced at me, eyebrows furrowing. I snorted, they looked like caterpillars dancing! I struggled to not start laughing. Norrington's eyebrows raised as he observed my behaviour. He turned back to Mr Brown.

"Just doing my civic duty, sir." Norrington smiled.

"Well, I trust you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away." Norrington's men moved to haul Jack away. Norrington turned to me. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"No, we haven't." I told him. "Sorry about that." Norrington frowned.

"Take her away." Norrington commanded. I shrugged and allowed the men to take me to my cell.

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**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything!

**Thank you guys for reading! I hope you liked this chapter coz I had fun writing it. Please tell me what you thought in a review, because that would make me very happy :D BTW, this is an Elizabeth bashing story, so if you like her I suggest you don't read this. It's bashing coz, well... I guess you'll find out if you read on! You have been warned! Ta. **


	3. It's the Pearl

**Hello again! It it moi, the fabulous Nardhwentheelf. I hope you are all enjoying this, and laugh a lot at this chapter coz it's quite funny, and slightly awkward in places ;) I would like to say hello to Shrimp, who apparently loves this story (so I hear from BlackestSlytherin), so here you go, Shrimp! Ok, reviews.**

**BlackestSlytherin: **Yeah ikr! Thank you ;) Yes I know you add the detail ;) enjoy! Also I need you to read through chap 5 (when I finish it, obvs) soon so I can post another chappie.

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**roseyred831:** Thank you! Aha ;) I'm not telling you that :D You'll see...

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_It's the Pearl_

**Charlie's POV**

Norrington's men accompanied me to the dungeon, pushing me roughly before them. Thankfully, no one recognised me- nor should they have any reason to, changed as my appearance was from when I was 13 or so- as I was shoved into a cell. Staggering, but not falling, courtesy of the prison bars, I heard the door lock behind me. Glaring at the guards, I went over to the only bench to find Jack lying on it.

"Jack." I said. "Get off the bench."

"Why should I?" He asked. I suppose it was a reasonable question. I shrugged.

"Because I want to sit on it." I was getting some pretty strange looks from the adjoining cell, but I ignored them.

"So do I." Jack replied, not opening his eyes.

"Fair enough." I muttered, lifting up my foot and placing it on the opposite side of Jack. Before he could react, I pushed him off the bench, transferring my weight to the foot on the bench so that I didn't trip over Jack as he fell to the floor. I stood on the bench, quickly sitting and then lying down. "Ahh. Thank you, Jack. That was very gallant of you." I smiled sweetly at him as he scowled at me, but made no move to push me off. I put my hat over my eyes and relaxed as much as I could on the hard wood.

(((((*((((*(((*((*(*)*))*)))*))))*)))))

I was awoken by the three prisoners in the cell next to me trying to get the dog with the keys to come to them. One of them held a loop of rope; another was waggling a bone. The dog was just sitting there and cocking his head. Smart dog.

"Come here, boy... want a nice, juicy bone?"

"You can keep doing that forever, that dog's never going to move." Jack said from where he was lying on a pile of straw.

"Excuse us if we ain't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet." Snapped one of the inmates from the adjourning cell. Sighing, I was just about to drift off back to sleep when-

-BANG! BANG! BANG! I sat up, startled. There were more bangs.

"I know those guns!" Jack leapt up and peered out of the bars of the window. I continued to sit, quickly losing interest. What can I say? I'd seen it all before. The other prisoners gathered around their window as well. "It's the Pearl..." Jack whispered, half to himself.

"The Black Pearl?" One of the other prisoners asked, his voice quavering. "I've heard stories... she's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years... and never leaves any survivors." I came and stood next to Jack and saw that he was smiling.

"No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" The man looked confused. I rolled my eyes at Jack, and in return he grinned at me. Turning around, I reached into the neighbouring cell and grabbed the bone from where it lay on the floor. Kneeling down at the front of my cell, I located the dog and whistled.

"Here, doggy." I dropped the bone just in front of me, and shuffled back half a step.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" Jack asked.

"Shut up and let me do my thing." I told him, waving him away. The dog padded over to me, looking longingly at the bone. "Come on. Drop!" I reached out my hand, palm up, and waited. I repeated the command, and to everyone's surprise, the dog dropped the keys in my hand and ran off with the bone. "Good boy." I praised him as he disappeared. I turned, and smirked at Jack, who was standing there with a confused look on his face.

"How did you do that?" I smiled superiorly.

"It's the feminine touch, Jackie. Not something you'd know much about." I went to unlock our door, but then the walls of the cell exploded inward. I was thrown against the bars, pieces of debris hitting my back. Groaning, I unlocked the door and fell out of it. "That's gonna bruise." I moaned. Looking back, I saw that the cannon blast had created a large hole in the wall, but it was centred in the other cell.

"Praise be!" The prisoners scrambled out of the hole without a second glance back. I yanked Jack up and pulled him out the door. Grabbing our effects, I unlocked the next cell. We rushed in and out through the hole, scrambling down the side of the building. We reached the bottom in no time. I turned to Jack once we had stopped.

"What now?" Jack paused.

"Hmm..." I rolled my eyes.

"Come on. We can hide under a longboat until everyone's gone." Jack grinned.

"I know! We can hide under a longboat until everyone's gone!" I sighed, setting off in the direction of the beach.

I knew all the nooks and crannies of Port Royale, having lived there for 13 years. We made it to the beach in good time. Waiting until there was no one directly around, we rushed to a longboat. I lifted it up and we ducked under. It was quite tight underneath the boat, and Jack and I were quite close together. Before he could say anything, I made some rules.

"Right. You don't touch me, and-" I drew a line in the sand between us. "Don't cross this line." I could tell Jack was tempted to put a finger over the line, but he didn't.

"Yes, ma'am." I rolled my eyes at him, took off my hat, and went to sleep.

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"Charlie. Charlie! You are a very heavy sleeper. Wake up!" Finally, Jack's whisper-yelling woke me up. I blinked sleepily, and then came fully awake, realising where we were.

"Aww, we're still in the boat."

"Aye. I couldn't bloody well move it with you asleep." I shrugged. "That boy I was fighting... you knew him." I sighed, nodding. "Who is he? He looked very familiar."

"That, Jack, was the son of William Turner." Jack's eyes widened.

"Bootstrap's son?"

"Aye." I could tell Jack was dying to ask more questions, but then I heard footsteps approaching us. I put a hand over Jack's mouth and we lay silent. The footsteps stopped right next to our boat. I silently swore. The side of the boat lifted up slowly...

... and I saw Will looking down at us with a faintly embarrassed look.

"I'm very sorry, did I interrupt something?" I looked at Will with horror. Jack put an arm around me.

"Yes, actually, you did. I think you should leave." I thwacked Jack's arm, and called him a few foul names, at the same time shuffling away from him. When I looked back at Will, his eyes were wide.

"You're the pirates. Why are you here?" Jack and I shrugged.

"Well we _are_ pirates, but we're not the pirates who were-" This time Jack clapped _his_ hand over my mouth.

"Charlie was asleep." I rolled my eyes, removing the offending appendage. Will crouched down.

"Look. You will help me, or I will turn you in." Jack and I exchanged a heavy glance, and I began to weigh the options. Trade in our new-found freedom or run the risk of my identity being revealed. Hmmm... then again… spend more time around Norrington or be around a childhood friend for a while…my decision made I nodded slightly. Jack looked back at Will.

"What is it you want to know?" Will looked a little surprised at quick- relatively speaking-cooperation, but quickly recovered.

"You are familiar with that ship - the Black Pearl?"

"I've heard of it." I let the boys do the negotiating and began to snooze lightly.

"Where does it make berth?"

"Where does it make berth?" Jack repeated. "Have you not heard the stories? Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It is an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

"The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

"Why ask us?" Jack wondered.

"Because you're pirates."

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

"Never!" Will hesitated. "They took Miss Swann." I stiffened at the mention of my sister, coming out of my doze. I couldn't believe that Will wanted to save her. Actually I couldn't believe that Will wanted to be around the spoilt brat.

"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for us." Well, at least he said us.

"You will help me, or they will find you and hang you." I turned to Jack.

"Personally, I would help him rather than get hanged."

"What's your name, boy?" I rolled my eyes.

"Will Turner."

"That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, the name for your father, eh?"

"…Yes."

"Uh-huh. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you don't turn us in, I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?" Will glanced at me.

"I ain't promising anything, mate." Not if it was about my sister. Jack stuck his hand out to Will.

"Agreed."

"Agreed." Jack echoed. He moved so that he wasn't lying down, he kneeling, and gestured for me to do the same. Once I had, he invited Will under the boat. Jack explained what we were going to do.

"We're going to steal that ship?" Will asked in disbelief, peeking out from under the boat at the Dauntless.

"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term." Will dropped the boat. "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl - how far are you willing to go to save her?"

"I'd die for her." Jack gave me an understanding glance as I turned slightly away from Will.

"Oh, good. No worries, then." Jack then outlined what we were going to do next.

"That's ridiculous!" I told him. "It's so much more suspicious than just walking about in the open. We might as well be doing a tribal dance or something!"

"That's racist." Jack told me. I sighed.

(((((*((((*(((*((*(*)*))*)))*))))*)))))

Amazingly, Jack's plan actually worked. We got underwater with a good sized air bubble, and were now walking along the sea bed.

"This is either madness, or brilliance." Will commented. I was just struggling to keep my head above water. I wasn't as tall as the two men.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Finally, I was tired of nearly drowning.

"You know," I remarked. "Some of us aren't as tall as you." I was looking at Jack. He shrugged, not looking at me. I sighed, and did what I had to do. I jumped onto Jack's back and hung on.

"What are you doing?" I shrugged.

"Being a spidermonkey, I guess."

"A spidermonkey?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. I really, you know, wanted to be able to _breathe_, so here I am." Jack sighed, but didn't try and shake me off.

Eventually, we got to the Dauntless. The two men were discussing tactical ways to get aboard the ship, but I took a deep breath, ducked out from under the boat, and swam up to the surface. When I broke the surface, I took a couple of deep breaths, and then began to climb up the side of the ship. I was about halfway up when the boys came up. I smiled and waved down at them. I scrambled to a ledge, and sat down to wait for them.

"That took a while." I remarked to them when they reached me. Jack just rolled his eyes at me, and I completely ignored Will. He obviously preferred my sister over me, even if he didn't know I was me, and so I was going to talk to him as little as possible. Call it petty, but I really liked him.

We reached the deck of the ship in no time. Jack, leading the way, yelled:

"Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship." Jack and I ran quickly down the stairs, whilst Will, obviously trying to show off, jumped over the bannister.

"Aye! Avast!" He said. The men laughed. I gave Will a look. I do like him and all, but what a total _idiot_.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men." One of the men said, obviously a leader of some sort. He glared at Jack and Will but ignored me. "You'll never make it out of the bay." Jack pointed his pistol at the man's nose.

"Son... I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?" He cocked his gun. I did the same and pointed it at the same man. He looked incredibly frightened.

"Into the boat. Now." I told them. The men rushed to obey.

So a little while later, the ship was ours, without a shot being fired. Quite an achievement. I rushed about, trying to ready the ship, since Will wasn't any help whatsoever. He had clearly never been on a proper ship before. I noticed that the other big ship, the Interceptor, had begun to sail towards us.

"Here they come." I said. Jack smiled.

The Interceptor soon reached us. The soldiers boarded the Dauntless, and I heard Norrington saying:

"Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges." Jack gestured for me to swing onto the Interceptor, so I did. I was closely followed by the two men. I nicked Will's hammer-type-thing and began to cut the ropes joining the two ships together. "Sailors! Back to the Interceptor! Now!" I heard Norrington yell as we began to sail away. We were already too far. One brave sailor tried to swing across, but fell short with a splash. Jack smiled and waved to Norrington.

"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves." I grinned, waving my hat to the sailors on the Dauntless. I saw Norrington and another sailor talking, and the sailor gave an order, but reluctantly, I saw. Another man ran up, panting. I grinned. Apparently they'd noticed what Jack had done.

"Abandon ship!" I heard a cry from down below. Running to the front of the ship, I saw the men who were originally in the Dauntless leaping out of their boat before it was shattered against the Interceptor's hull. I grinned at their terrified faces. It was fun scaring people.

Once we were safely out of the bay, I strode over to Jack.

"I'm going to the crow's nest. Call if you need me." The last bit was kind of tradition. I probably wouldn't come down unless we were under fire, and Jack knew it. He nodded, and I darted off to the rigging, and easily clambered up to the top. Once at the top, I knelt in the barrel, dropping my pretence of being alright. I silently swore at people; Will for not knowing who I was and liking Elizabeth, Elizabeth for making Will like her, Jack for bringing me to Port Royale in the first place, my father for not understanding, Norrington for just being a bloody prat, and myself because I needed someone else to swear at. When I finally looked back down at the two men on the deck, I saw that Will was dangling over the sea, holding onto the boom. Good. I hoped he drowned. As I watched, Jack spun the wheel and brought Will back onto the ship. Damn. He pointed a sword at Will, and then flipped it so that he was holding the blade. Will took the sword, asking something. Jack replied, grinning. I shrugged, looking east. It was all clear, so I came back down to the deck, composure regained. "Where're we headed, Captain?" I asked. Jack probably wouldn't reply if I addressed him differently. I sighed inwardly.

"Tortuga."

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own POTC, but anything unrecognisable belongs to me.

**So, what did ya think! Please R&R, if you do, I shall update soon and you will all get a warm piece of chocolate fudge cake ;) virtual, though. Later!**


	4. Tortuga

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while - been busy with school and music etc. So here is a nice long chapter for all of you ;)**

**rosered831:** Haha lol :D sorry you can't do this with this fanfic ;) not really ;) anyway, enjoy!

**BlackestSlytherin:** Yeah yeah we all know you love smores ;) It was NOT all you, I wrote the most of it ;) Yes, you can have a Norrington plushie ;) 0-0 to you too ;)

Chapter 4: _Tortuga_

**Charlie's POV**

"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy?" I rolled my eyes at Jack as he grabbed an expensive-looking walking stick off a drunk man. "What do you think?" I cast a sidelong glance at Will, and saw him looking around with an expression of disgust.

"It'll linger." I smirked, lifting my hat and letting my shoulder length, flame red hair spill out from under it. I usually kept it up inside my hat, but this was Tortuga. No one cared if I was a woman.

"I'll tell you, mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." A woman with red hair (like mine) approached us. "Scarlett!" She slapped Jack. "Not sure I deserved that." Another woman approached us, this time she was blonde. "Giselle!"

"Who was she?" Giselle asked.

"What?" Jack said, and again got slapped. "I may have deserved that." Biting back a grin, I stepped forward so that I was level with Jack.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Jack grinned slyly at me. I rolled my eyes again. "What are we going to do?" I asked in exasperation.

"We," He said, grabbing two empty buckets. "Are going to visit an old friend." He pressed one into my hands, and set off, looking for something. I shrugged, not looking behind me to see if Will was following, and walked after Jack.

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"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" Gibbs yelled when Jack threw a bucket of cold water over him. He was lying in the mud with a couple of pigs, and was obviously hung over. He brandished a knife at us. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin'. 'S bad luck." Jack walked over to Gibbs and crouched down next to him.

"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." You know, I actually got that! Will apparently didn't, though. Gibbs looked slightly confused, but then he grinned.

"Aye, that'll about do it." Jack helped Gibbs to his feet-

-just for Gibbs to be hit with a second wave of water. I frowned at Will, who had the other bucket in his hands.

"Blast! I'm already awake!" Gibbs spluttered.

"That was for the smell." Gibbs opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it, realising Will was right. For once. I stepped forwards, and Gibbs smiled at me.

"Charlie! Charlie Swift! You're looking better than ever." I smirked, leaning into him, ignoring the smell.

"It's the rum." I mock-whispered. Gibbs laughed.

"If that were true, I should look like your young friend there." I glanced over my shoulder to see Jack and Will walking away, talking. My smile dropped when Gibbs mentioned him. "Charlie?" Gibbs asked when he didn't receive a sarcastic reply. I forced a smile. Gibbs frowned at me, but we followed the others to a tavern. Gibbs led me to a shadowy table in a corner, and we left Will keeping guard.

"Don't cock up." I told him before brushing past, hard. I could feel his eyes on my back, but I honestly couldn't care less. Jack had disappeared off to get drinks, so it was just Gibbs and I at the table. Eventually, Jack arrived with three drinks in his hands. I saw him mutter something to Will, who frowned but looked back at the drunkards. Jack gave one to me, and then sat down opposite Gibbs, and did a little dance with the remaining cups, which made Gibbs a little annoyed, I could see. Finally, Jack gave Gibbs a mug, but as Gibbs was about to take a big swig, Jack said:

"Just the one." Gibbs paused, and then took a dainty sip.

"Best make it last then." He said. I took a gulp of my drink. "Now, what's the nature of this venture of your'n?" Gibbs asked, lifting the cup to his lips.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl." Gibbs almost choked. To be honest, I probably would've too. I looked at Jack in astonishment. "I know where it's going to be, and I'm gonna take it."

"Jack, it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than us the tales of the Black Pearl." I said, putting my drink down on the table.

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew." He said, looking at Gibbs. I immediately understood why Jack had brought us to Tortuga. Clever.

"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one." Gibbs said.

"Well, then, I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?" I snorted into my drink. Jack gave me a look.

"Prove me wrong. What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?" Jack just smiled, nodding his head towards Will. Gibbs frowned, not understanding. Jack's head movements got bigger and bigger, until Gibbs finally looked towards Will, who was being looked up by a rather... large woman with a tankard in her hand. "The kid?" Jack nodded.

"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner." Gibbs' eyes widened. "His _only_ child. Savvy?" Gibbs looked back to Will.

"Is he now?" Gibbs wondered. "I think I feel a change in the wind." I grinned. "I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."

"One can only hope." Jack said, picking up his mug. "Take what you can." He lifted the tankard. Gibbs did the same.

"Give nothing back!" The two clinked their tankards and drained the drink, before slamming them down on the table. I rolled my eyes. There was a large crash, and I looked to see Will, with drawn sword, standing behind a table on its side. He whirled on anyone who moved. After a couple of seconds, he looked at us. "Kid's a bit of a stick, isn't he?"

"You have no idea." I told Gibbs. The rest of the room began laughing and joking again, and Will frowned, sheathing his sword. I looked at him over the rim of my cup. He appeared to be sulking. Good. Let him sulk.

(((((*((((*(((*((*(*)*))*)))*))))*)))))

"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot." I looked doubtfully at the group of dishevelled, motley and weather-beaten men standing before us.

"So _this _is your able-bodied crew?" I smirked at Will as he eyed the group uncertainly.

"You, sailor!" Jack stopped before a man with a large, colourful parrot on his shoulder.

"Cotton, sir." Gibbs supplied helpfully.

"Mr Cotton! Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" Cotton didn't reply. "Mr Cotton! Answer, man." Jack was standing almost nose to nose with the poor man.

"He's a mute, sir." Gibbs informed us. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him." Cotton stuck out his stump of a tongue. I grimaced. "No one's yet figured how."

"Mr Cotton's... parrot. Same question." Jack said. I bit back a grin. Now Jack was talking to birds. What next?

"Wind in your sails! Wind in your sails!" I frowned.

"Mostly, we figure that means 'yes'."

"Of course it does. Satisfied?" Jack looked at Will, and then turned to me. I made a face.

"Well, you've proved they're mad." I told him.

"Aren't we all." I nodded. True.

"And what's the benefit for us?" There was a voice from the end of the line. Distinctly feminine. Jack crept towards the end of the line. There was a figure with a large hat over her (of course it was a girl) face. Jack lifted the hat, making a face. He probably expected some sort of hideous monster, but instead it was...

"Anamaria." She slapped Jack.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either." Will said.

"No, that one I deserved." I smirked at Jack.

"You stole my boat!" Anamaria yelled.

"Actually-" Jack was slapped again. "Borrowed. Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back."

"But you didn't!" Anamaria shouted.

"You'll get another one." Jack promised.

"I will." Anamaria pointed a finger at Jack.

"A better one." Will butted in.

"A better one!" Jack echoed, agreeing.

"That one." Will pointed to the Interceptor.

"What one?" Jack asked. He turned to see the ship, along with the rest of the line. "That one?" Jack half-yelled at Will. The line turned back. "Aye. That one. What say you?" He asked.

"Aye!" The crew yelled, turning and making for the ship. I starting to go with them, but then Gibbs said to Jack:

"No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir." I brushed past Gibbs, clearing my throat loudly. The three men were silent until I was out of earshot. I rolled my eyes and made my way onto the ship.

(((((*((((*(((*((*(*)*))*)))*))))*)))))

A massive storm had hit us. I ran- well, ran, slid, same difference- around the ship, trying to stop it from sinking. The new crew were surprisingly good sailors, despite almost all of them being drunkards. We were just managing to keep the ship afloat, but barely. Waves were crashing over the side of the ship, and they would've soaked us if it hadn't have been raining, of course. Everyone was wet to the bone, and cold, I imagine. I certainly was.

Jack called for me above the crashing of the waves and the howling of the wind.

"Charlie!" I barely heard him, but I did, so I clambered up the tilted deck towards him.

"Yes, Captain?" I said once I was near enough to actually talk to him. The boat tipped and I had to grab onto him to stop from falling. He gave me an amused glance.

"I need you to go up to the crow's nest." I looked at him.

"To the crow's nest." I repeated in amazement.

"Aye. The crow's nest."

"Do you want me to get killed?" I yelled at him. "I mean, we're in the middle of a storm!" Jack shrugged.

"You're the best climber I know." Now that was unexpected. You don't often get compliments from Captain Jack Sparrow. "I want to know if we're almost through." I took a deep breath.

"Aye, Captain."

"Use the rope." I have him another look.

"No, I was just planning to go up how I was." I deadpanned. "Of course I'm going to use the bloody rope!" I rolled my eyes. Now Jack gave _me_ a look. I sighed. "Right. The crow's nest." I turned and slid my way to the main mast. Boats had a rope attached through a metal loop on the side of the crow's nest, which both ends of hung down to the deck. If you need to go up to the crow's nest in a storm, or were just a terrible climber, you tied one end of the rope to your waist, and someone else held the other in case you slipped. I tied the rope around my waist, looking for someone who was more or less uninvolved with keeping the ship afloat. Of course, the only person available was Will. Sighing, I called him over, and briefly explained what to do. "Basically, don't let go." I told him as I started to climb.

**Will's POV**

I held the rope as Charlie explained what to do. I think she took me for some sort of simpleton. She didn't like me very much. As she started to climb, the bottom of her tunic rode up, revealing her belt. I frowned as I saw a small square of white cloth tied to it. I leant closer, and saw two letters stitched in one of the corners: WT. I shrugged it off. How curious that someone had the same initials as me. I wondered who it was.

When Charlie was probably about halfway up the rigging, my mind suddenly flashed back to that day. I gasped, putting a hand to my own belt and feeling the handkerchief that was still in it. 'CS' were the initials. Charlotte Swann, or... Charlie Swift. My eyes widened, and I felt a tug on the rope, meaning Charlie wanted to come down and needed some slack. I let the rope run through my hands, still in a slight state of shock.

As Charlie dropped to the deck, she untied the rope, and immediately set for Jack. Coming out of my stupor, I grabbed her shoulder. She shook it off. I took hold of it again, and she seized my wrist. I could feel the strength in her fingers.

"Charlotte." I said. She stopped squeezing my wrist, and very slowly, met my eyes.

"What did you call me?" She asked, an unreadable expression on her face and a guarded tone in her voice.

"Charlotte. Charlotte Swann." There was a look in her eyes, and I didn't know what it was. Abruptly, she threw down my wrist and stalked off towards the wheel. I trailed her, confused as to why she was acting like this. I remembered a little girl, always coming to help John Brown and myself down at the forge. We were best friends. So why didn't she like me now? She gave her report to Jack, and then seemed to hesitate, and ask Jack something. Jack frowned, shaking his head. Charlotte pleaded with him, and Jack seemed to relent. Charlotte turned and came back down the steps towards me. She completely ignored me as I tried to get her to talk to me. She headed for the Captain's quarters. "Charlotte!" I said, exasperated. She turned to face me.

"Mr Turner, I'm sorry but I have no idea who you are talking about. I would appreciate it if you would stop following me and calling me by someone else's name." She retreated into the cabin and shut the door with a little more force than necessary. I shook myself and went to open the door-

-But then I heard a bolt slam home from the other side. Frowning, I went back to help the rest of the sailors.

**Charlie's POV**

Once the door was shut and locked, I slid down the wall, and put my head in my hands. I swore at people for the second time in so many days. Mainly Will, obviously.

"Fuck." I said. Of course I wanted Will to know who I was, but in this way he wouldn't stop trailing me until he got an answer, which I wasn't willing to give him. He was clever. He could figure it out on his own. Probably. I sighed. _Why me?_ I asked the world.

"You can have 15 minutes," Jack had said. "And then I need you out here. You are probably the best sailor amongst us-" Wow, two compliments from Jack in one day! "-So we need you here to help." I had agreed to that. So I probably had 10 minutes left to get myself together. Sighing again, I stood up and began to wander through the Captain's cabin, occasionally picking up the odd nick-nack or trinket that littered Jack's shelves. I picked up a tin that had the East India Trading Company logo stamped on its lid. Running my finger thoughtfully across the groves, I considered my options. I could either be the outgoing person and face up to my fears, which meant telling Will the truth, or I could be the person who I felt like I was at the moment, hiding in the dark, and avoid Will for the rest of my life. Was it bad that I was considering the latter? Probably. But what else was there to do? Go up to Will and say:

"Hey, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm the girl who ran away 8 years ago. Oh, by the way, get away from my sister because I want to marry you and have your babies!"

Yeah, 'cause _that's_ gonna over well. And I knew deep down, that if I went up to Will and opened my mouth, that would pour out. And then, I would go and find a hole, and die from embarrassment in it. I could just picture my funeral now. The only person in attendance, Jack, and only because he could get free booze. And carved on my tombstone would be:

'_Charlie. The girl who decided to open her big fat gob.'_

Well wouldn't that be _delightful_. Yes, I'd convinced myself. The second option would be the way forward. For now.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! But all unrecognisable material belongs to me.

**BlackestSlytherin: Well, except the last few paragraphs. They are MINE! :-D**

**Nardhwentheelf: Yeah, whatever. You **_**helped**_**. I wrote. Anyway, I have to. You can't touch type in the slightest. It kills me.**

**B.S: Whatevs. I still own the last few paragraphs. MY PRECIOOOOOOOUUUUUSSSS **

**N.T.E: Wrong fandom, dearie. Anyway, I wrote the majority of it.**

**B.S: CHOCOLATE PIZZA! 0.o I love that face 0.o 0.o 0.o 0.o 0.o**

**N.T.E: Yes, the pizza was delish. Ok... anyway, please R&R coz that would make me happy as cheese, as BlackestSlytherin would say. Happy now?**

**B.S: *nods in an appropriately happy manner***

**N.T.E: Good. Anyway, ta till next time!**

**B.S: ELF BEDDING!**

**N.T.E: Wtf?**

**B.S: *grins* CIAO! I know that many exclamation marks isn't professional, but screw it, Elf-Girlie.**

**N.T.E: *sighs in exasperation* Whatever. Ok, bye guys!**


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